1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to vehicle door systems, more particularly to door systems for a pillarless door opening.
2. Background Art
Automotive vehicles are often provided with multiple doors on a common body side of the vehicle. Typically, a pair of adjacent doors on a common body side of a vehicle open rearward facing with respect to the vehicle. Such rearward facing adjacent doors are generally each mounted to an associated pillar. Therefore, each door is provided with a corresponding door opening.
The prior art has combined openings of adjacent doors into a common door opening. Such door openings have been provided as a pillarless door opening, and have been utilized for trucks or sport utility vehicles having more than one row of seats. The pillarless door opening is provided without a center pillar between a front row and rear row seats. In order to provide lateral support to the vehicle body, generally both front and rear doors interlock and collectively provide lateral structural support. Since both front and rear doors are pivotally connected to the vehicle body, the doors are typically provided such that a user must open a front door, before opening or closing the rear door.